“Live your life from your heart. Share from your heart. And your story will touch and heal people's souls.” -Melody Beattie

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Allow the shift to occur

Happy Thursday, all! I hope the week has been going great. I can't believe it is almost September. As we close out the month this weekend, I feel like there are lots of new beginnings happening. People have started school, babies are being born, weddings are happening and people are experiencing some major shifts in their lives. I was talking to my friend, yesterday and she has quit her job and is moving to Thailand! It's really incredible that she is embarking on this journey and I am thrilled for her! As we kept talking, she said that ultimately she wants to experience what it feels like to be alone, while giving herself the space and time she needs to figure out what she wants, giving her soul room to grow, and giving herself the chance to fall in love with who she is. I thought this was really powerful and I can completely relate. When I graduated college, it was like I began embarking on a journey to "crack" myself open, and then, figure out what my soul needs and wants. I had to do it alone, without the influence of anyone. When I landed here in Houston, I really didn't have any expectations, and I had no idea that my life would change here in so many ways, from the things that have gone on outside of me, to the things that have happened internally. Walking into Yoga Ananda changed my life, or perhaps it was just the piece, the piece I came here to get, the piece that makes me feel whole, which I found through yoga. Our teacher training was called "The Art of Flourishing," and I truly believe that the name fits the program to a tee. The whole intention was not only to teach the poses, but it was to "get yourself out of the way," (meaning erasing any negative beliefs, or thoughts and feelings about ourselves) in order for your true essence to shine through. One of the major blocks that I've always had has been feeling unworthy of anything I've ever really loved. So, on the day that I graduated from the teacher training, I had to stand up and say, "I am worthy," and it was only upon really feeling it and knowing it in my soul, that I could graduate. After I shed many tears, about saying these three simple little words, I finally stood up and said it, feeling it in my body for the first time as I said it out loud that day. The purpose of yoga is to unite all the parts of ourselves. When we learn how to love ourselves, when we learn how to "have" ourselves, we begin to unite all the bits and pieces of who we are and with that, we become whole, and no longer do we need anything outside of who we already are to make us happy. That relieves a lot of pressure. We don't need the job to define us, or the relationship, or money, the list goes on and on... sometimes we have to journey near and far though, to be able to really listen to ourselves, and the thing is no one can take us there, we have to get there on our own, alone.

Here is a wonderful quote that kind of summed all of it up for me: Yoga is about clearing away whatever is in us that prevents our living in the most full and whole way. With yoga, we become aware of how and where we are restricted -- in body, mind, and heart -- and how gradually to open and release these blockages. As these blockages are cleared, our energy is freed. We start to feel more harmonious, more at one with ourselves. Our lives begin to flow -- or we begin to flow more in our lives.

CYBELE TOMLINSON, Simple Yoga

So, as the month closes and we head into September, maybe we can allow for these shifts to occur, we can release a little more, give a little more and allow ourselves to flow more freely.

I wasn't intending on writing a long post today, it was going to be a quick hello, but I guess my heart decided otherwise.